San Josenian Chris Lalata Enters the PBA

After 47 years of existence of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) finally a player born and raised in San Jose, Mindoro will be playing in Asia’s first-ever play-for-pay league.

Chris Lalata was able to fulfill his dream of being a professional hoopster for he was selected 2^nd round 16^th draft pick over-all chosen by the Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters. A total of 75 players submitted their draft applications, but that number got cropped to 66 as some failed to submit the obligatory requirements.

Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser lands at Blackwater as the top pick, while Terrafirma and Converge select Jeremiah Gray and Jeo Ambohot as the No. 2 and 3 picks, respectively. The draft happened at Robinson’s Place in Manila yesterday, Sunday, May 15, 2022.

Lalata’s first-ever PBA team is managed by Paulo Bugia and governed by Atty. Raymond Zorilla with Michael “Topex” Robinson as the head bench tactician. The team debuted in the PBA in the 2016 Commissioners Cup. Its franchise commenced after it acquired the second Barako Bull team (erstwhile known as the original Air21 Express team) in January of that year. Aside from Lalata, also listed to play for the team are PBA tyros Tyler Tio and Encho Serrano. The three are expected to immediately gel with the team’s top players such as Chris Banchero, Vic Manuel, RJ Jazul, Matthew Wright, and the rest.

Back in San Jose, Lalata studied and played for the Pedro T. Mendiola Sr. Memorial National High School and joined various regional competitions and sandlot basketball as a kid and inter-municipality, provincial and regional leagues as a teen.

If you are a budding basketball player, seeing your name on the back of the jersey worn by fans and exhibited in a sports apparel store feels like heaven. Especially if thousands of people cheer you on, as you play in famous venues such as the Big Dome, the MOA Arena, and the rest. The PBA is the Golconda of every Filipino basketballer with its adulation, salary and perks and other advantages.

As far as I could remember, there are only two professional players who came from Mindoro Island before him: the legendary Nelson “The Bull” Asaytono of various champion teams of the league who was born in San Teodoro but raised in Mamburao, and Robinson “Ben” Obrique of the CDCP Galleon Shippers from Roxas also from the island’s eastern side.

Seeking greener pasture in the big city, the long-limbed Mindoro cager played for St. Francis of Assisi College, Olivarez College, Marinerong Pilipino, Muntinlupa Cagers, the Bicol Volcanoes, Zamboanga Family Brand Sardines, Bacolod Masters and Davao Occidental Tigers. Lalata stands 6’5”, 198 lbs.  He was born in Barangay Mangarin on January 9, 1995. I featured him in this blog entry two years ago.

He practically grew up on a breeding farm for fighting cocks in their community. This youthful power forward from Occidental Mindoro soars through the big league like a winner rooster that powers its way out of the cockpit arena.

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Photo: WWW.PBA.PH

 

 

Ryan Sioson’s Win: Beginner’s Luck or Destiny?

 

Unlike his governor uncle who rose from the ranks of the political ladder from barrio captain, municipal councilor, vice-mayor, mayor, and governor, Ryan Gadiano-Sioson, a newcomer, came to the province’s political scene with a bang. And a loud bang at that!

Was it beginner’s luck?

He is the eldest child of Punong Barangay Rodel Sioson and Erlinda Gadiano also the eldest nephew of Governor Ed Gadiano. Ryan is a computer engineer by profession and served as the executive secretary of his uncle from July 2019 to September 2021. When AKAP HUB, the convergence and progressive health program of the provincial government which is a brainchild and banner program of the Gadiano administration came into existence, he was immediately appointed as its focal person.

Despite the financial mess that he bested brought about by the disagreement between the executive and legislative branches, AKAP HUB became the bastion of hope for thousands of our province mates who have health issues, especially those with serious medical conditions. His new assignment put him closer to the marginalized, vulnerable basic sectors of society including the Mangyans coming from different ethnolinguistic groups in the province.

The hub was launched on October 7, 2019, and since then, the name Ryan Gadiano-Sioson became synonymous with AKAP HUB, therefore, the political moniker “Mr. AKAP HUB”.

Sioson ranked third in the recent election for board members in the first district of Occidental Mindoro covering Looc, Lubang, Paluan, Abra de Ilog, Mamburao, Sta. Cruz and his hometown Sablayan where he figuratively spooned a total of 48,790 strong votes. The newbie lawmaker, better-half of an engaging social worker from Sta. Cruz town, Hannah Patrisha Torreliza-Encina, vowed to continue what he have started in AKAP HUB, short for Aking Kalusugan Ating Pangalagaan-Health Unified Body.

When asked why despite his lack of experience in the medical or health field, why did he accepted the challenge and took the cudgels he said, “Everyone gets sick and sickness is not always planned. Not all time people can afford to pay the high cost of medication, recuperation or hospitalization.” With his full adherence to this advocacy, two legislations in the future came to his mind: the issuance of health cards for particular sectors of society and the other is to craft an ordinance towards steadier institutionalization of AKAP HUB.

Indeed, at some point in one’s life he won a game he never played before and since politics is a game of chance, Sioson considered his victory as beginner’s luck but as days pass by, he realized that it was a combination of hard work and destiny that came into play for him. He does not have his own political coordinators, leaders, and campaigners but he steadfastly labored for this win. While name recall counts (because he has a Gadiano pedigree), he made have distinct marks in countless attributes.

The incoming board member is a believer and champion for clean elections and politicking for he won without even a single drop of fraud and as clean and pure as stainless steel. He pledged a corruption-free tenure as the people look forward to it.

May these words of Buddhist monk and teacher Shunryu Suzuki inspire Board Member Sioson’s baptism of fire in politics and amidst the old-timers in the provincial legislative board: “In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few.” This is in a way a brotherly nugget of wisdom for the young legislature coming from this simple Mindoro chronicler.

Whether it’s a beginner’s luck or not, one day Ryan Sioson will make a name for himself and would no longer be a beginner but an expert in politics and statesmanship.

Hard work and dedication prelude destiny for sure where luck plays a very minor role.

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Photo: SP Ryan G. Sioson’s FB Page

Ladaga-Javier’s Tall Order Ahead

There is a very high expectation in the forthcoming administration of Mayor-elect Atty. Rey Ladaga of San Jose, Occidental Mindoro. He has to deliver swiftly on various immediate concerns confronting the most progressive municipality in the province. He banked on his anti-corruption narrative and this time it worked out. Ladaga, former vice-mayor, and board member won the position finally after 2 successive failures, in 2016, and 2019. Ladaga finished his Law Degree at San Beda College in 1974.

In the recent election, Ladaga reaped a total of 33,533 votes winning against his closest rival Board Member Michelle de Mesa Festin, daughter of incumbent mayor Romulo “Muloy” Festin, who garnered 18,024 votes. It is very telling that if you combine the votes of Festin-Rivera and the rest mayoralty wannabes specifically Councilor Bobot Chua (9,728), Vice-Mayor Rod Agas (6,961), and the unknown Senen Erandio (267) the total would be 34,980. If Cong. Josephine R. Sato as their political leader was able to unite her group and come up with just one candidate for mayor, the outcome would be different, at least mathematically speaking.

Though Sonny Javier (40,327) won the vice-mayoralty slot via landslide, the majority of the elected Sanggunian members came from the Sato-Festin camp, namely Jiji Aguilar (29,218), Myrna Zapanta (28,556), Erning Jaravata (25,291), Robert Mangahas (22,477), and Jimmy Holgado (18,650). Only Arnel Argame (26,595) and Barok Balmes (21,524) belong to Ladaga-Javier tandem. (I do not know where Councilor Mercy Alvaran (19,539) is affiliated at present.) Balmes and Mangahas are barangay officials while Holgado came straight from the private sector. He manages a security agency, has roots in Iling island, and known for his charitable works. 

By the way, Sonny Javier got 40,327 votes winning the position of vice-mayor and presiding officer of the municipal council over Jun-Jun Malilay’s 21,949 shades.

What are the pressing concerns of San Jose at this very moment? Numerous. But the first two things that come to my mind are the public market and the public cemetery. These are the biggest eyesores as of this moment. While the Aroma Beach Pathwalk project has already been started by Mayor Muloy, for some reason, it has not been completed as scheduled, the public cemetery and the public market are still for the inauguration. The people in my town of birth expect that before Ladaga’s term ends in 2025, these two grand projects must be completed or at least commenced.

Ladaga will be inheriting a 290M loan of the municipality from the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP). The municipal council authorized Mayor Muloy in entering into a loan agreement with the aforementioned financing institution just recently. Ladaga got prominence as lawyer of the masses but this predicament will test again his prowess in financial management. Let as not forget that he was once branch attorney and branch manager of DBP-San Jose, the same bank where the local government has a borrowing.

The Festin administration has 70M budget for the construction of the San Jose Public Market. Meantime while the construction is ongoing, a temporary building is being constructed in the former Motor Pool in Labangan is in progress with the water and electrical systems are still underway. The Ladaga watch will be met with resistance coming from the stall owners and vendors. On the other hand, the Festin administration is yet to start the transfer of the San Jose Public Cemetery which is now very congested and requires fast and smart solution. The new set of officials has to purchase a lot for the purpose and start immediate construction of facilities therein. 

Quick delivery of basic social services is another area that the in-coming new administration has to resolve including efficient and effective activities, projects, and programs concerning pandemic recovery toward the so-called “new normal”. In line with the Mandanas Ruling, human resource services must be streamlined and professionalized and hire only a justifiable number of employees, specifically casuals and job orders. It has been said that the LGU's delivery of basic services is red tape-ridden and the customer satisfaction rating is very low. Relevant social services for all especially persons with disability, senior citizens, the Mangyans, children, the youth, and the women that assure effective and inclusive delivery and social inclusion must be implemented in toto. The clients if its different offices must be at ease doing business with them following the letter and intent of the ARTA and of course, the bible of local governance, the RA 7160.

Effective and inclusive governance through the close coordination between the barangays and the local government through genuine accountability and transparency is also a must for the new administration.

Like the biblical temple, the Office of the Mayor necessitates a thorough cleansing. The constituency needs an immediate solution to these major problems that the incoming administration has to instantaneously solve within its first 100 days in office.

On the part of the legislative department, even though they are a minority, incoming Vice-Mayor Sonny Javier, the people expect efficient and effective measures by directing the smooth flow of legislation within the bounds and true essence of the legislature through warranting and governing a free and inclusive lawmaking-body which the ordinary San Joseño like this writer can depend on at all times.

VM Sonny, as a man of faith and being involved in religious organizations, will nurture adept leadership and doing by example, bringing the legislative body closer to higher standards and moral values. Hopefully.

May God help them both and so are we.

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(Photo: San Jose PR Team)

 

Analysis on the Gadiano Victory

 

The people of Occidental Mindoro have spoken and through the ballot, they ended the 32 years of unblemished election record of Josephine Y. Ramirez-Sato, former vice-governor, governor, and congresswoman. The political trio known as TGT composed of Leody F. Tarriela, Gov. Eduardo B. Gadiano, and Diana C. Apigo-Tayag won a landslide victory against their separate rivals for congressional, gubernatorial, and vice-gubernatorial seats, respectively.

In 2019, when Sato overpowered Mayor Juan M. Sanchez in her third bid for a seat in the House of Representatives, she confidently declared, “Hindi pa ipinapanganak ang tatalo sa akin.” (The one who defeats me has not yet been born.) To trace back, Sato was elected governor for three consecutive terms (1992–1995, 1995–1998, 1998–2001.) Then served her first term as congresswoman from 2001 to 2004. After Sato's first term as a congresswoman, she again served for three consecutive terms as governor of the province (2004–2007, 2007–2010, 2010–2013).

Then after her sixth term as governor, she has again elected as congresswoman of Occidental Mindoro until she was badly beaten in an electoral contest by Gadiano just yesterday, May 9, 2022. This is the first time that the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) did not endorse her since she started her political career. This is Sato’s first taste of defeat. This cemented the belief of the political observers that the leader from Sablayan who climbed the local ladder of authority is indeed capable of overtaking titans.

Gadiano got a whooping 150,627 votes over Sato’s 92,138 tally (As of May 10, 2022/2:32 PM). Out of the province’s 11 municipalities, Sato won only in Looc. Here is the breakdown:

1.      Abra de Ilog: Gadiano-9,721; Sato-5,513

2.     Calintaan: Gadano-8,808; Sato-4,529

3.     Looc: Sato-2,931; Gadiano-2,924

4.     Lubang: Gadiano-5,385; Sato-5,110

5.     Magsaysay: Gadiano-10,663; Sato-7,732

6.     Mamburao: Gadiano-13,610; Sato-9,809

7.     Paluan: Gadiano-7,038; Sato-3,553

8.    Rizal: Gadiano - 11,217; Sato-7,950

9.     Sta. Cruz: Gadiano – 12,953; Sato-6,163

10.                        Sablayan: Gadiano – 28,408; Sato-12,313 (Gadiano’s bailiwick)

11.  San Jose : Gadiano: 39,908; Sato-26,535 (Sato’s bailiwick)

I also attribute the victory of Gadiano and the rest of the TGT to good branding and effective narrative, its counter-propaganda initiative, well-oiled machinery, and the Sato strategy itself that backfired, especially the negative campaigning her camp employed like the supposed sexual assault, especially those fiddled by fictitious social media accounts and trolls, and paid radio programs, more so those hosted by a turncoat notorious radio personality based in San Jose. 

For me, the TGT and the Ganados employed a combination of competency-based and politics of discontent brands of political campaigning. It also thrived on the combination of both Change and Continuity that is common in confronting politicians who overstay in office facing an incumbent candidate. The issue of brown out, as I keep on insisting every now and then, became the burning issue at hand given that Sato had been in power, as they keep on saying repeatedly in every sortie, for 32 years. This shows the brilliance of the TGT's campaign operators and propagandists. This is the fruit of their hard labor.

Brownouts have a direct personal experience with all of us and aside from the best practices of Gadiano administration in less than 3 years, like the establishment of AKAP Hub, the sustainable livelihood program, the pandemic response related PPAs, the sea ambulances that had not been considered since the province’s founding 7 decades ago and the rest of the best practices of his government, played a major role of giving him a fresh mandate as the province’s chief executive. The TGT team also was able to touch and bring their message to the farthest sitios and even the geographically isolated and disadvantaged border communities while their rival concentrated more on the periphery than the countryside. Not to mention the baseless accusations painted all over concrete and conspicuous bridges in Sablayan. Such special operation exploded right at the very faces of those who masterminded it.

It is also worthy to say that the TGT and the rest of the so-called Team Ganado in different municipalities led by Gadiano himself, were able to articulately convey the message that they are being “dribbled” (from the governor’s own word) on the issue of the disapproval of the two annual budgets. How his office and the whole province’s delivery of basic services, projects, and programs were badly affected by the budget curtailment of the provincial board dominated by Sato’s political allies. Gadiano succeeded in telling the people that this modus will make the people, especially the poor, suffer more. That political "repeaters" are the culprits why we are still in this social mess. This includes the huge deficit in the public coffer when he stepped into office in 2019. But despite this, he was able to manage the finances and delivered priority programs and essential projects responding to the people's needs while the gargantuan loans of the previous administration were gradually settled. He dared to deliver even amidst the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic. Gadiano delivered his message clearly winning inch by inch the hearts and minds of the common tao with utmost conviction, authority and fervor.

Being aligned with Marcos-Duterte tandem was also a big factor for them in terms of tactical alliance.

The people yelled out their discontents and anxieties through their votes.

Let the murky water of partisan politics settle for a moment.

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(Photo: Gov. Ed Gadiano’s Facebook Account)

 

 

The Inseparability of Politics and Electricity in Sato-Gadiano Rivalry

 

Since the time of Thomas Edison, the electricity industry is already been a permanent feature in politics. Before Pearl Street (his pioneering streetlight project) ever opened, Edison had to bribe New York politicians to begin laying the foundations of his work.

As Time magazine recounts, Edison “obtained with great difficulty the consent of New York’s famously corrupt city government to build his proposed network on the southern tip of Manhattan.” As the early electricity industry grew, it became more involved with city politics over lighting contracts. Electricity providers had to receive franchise rights from city officials to serve local areas, opening the door for those officials to extort power companies for campaign contributions or personal bribes.

The year was 1882.

Fast forward to Occidental Mindoro. Present time.

Centuries have already passed as it proves that electricity and politicians are inseparable, with due respect to its deniers and pretenders from both ends.

The Island Power Corporation (IPC) controversy is the mother liquor of this sourest situation of a power failure and brownouts in the province. This situation is just the offshoot of a series of awfully debauched business decisions taken by the previous Board of Directors and management of OMECO since 1993. It all started when the OMECO BOD entered into a one-sided Contract or Energy Conversion Agreement (ECA) with Island Power Corporation (IPC) on December 10, 1993. The ECA guaranteed an onerous 25-year term (with the option to extend) to the latter, without providing for a “termination clause” that would have allowed OMECO to “automatically” rescind or terminate the ECA in case IPC failed to fulfill its obligations, without having to seek judicial recourse. A political titan represents the IPC, the former Governor Jose T. Villarosa.

The Power Supply Agreement (PSA) between Occidental Mindoro Electric Cooperative (OMECO) and the Emerging Power Incorporated (EPI), Philippines, was signed February 28, 2014, at Sikatuna Beach Hotel in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro. According to Rep. Josephine Y. Ramirez Sato, EPI assured them then that by 2015, we would be getting an additional 3.3 MW and expected to increase each year. She said, “By 2017, we can all say goodbye to brownouts and other hassles brought about by power outage, we were assured.” The truth is, the geothermal source was a hoax, and out of nowhere, the Occidental Mindoro Consolidated Power Corporation (OMCPC) immediately appeared like Aladdin’s genie and inked a Swiss Challenge Procurement Agreement with OMECO. And the rest of the EPI story is history, I mean, a fairy tale.

Sometime in March 2018, Rep. Josephine Sato and her allies led the Solar Para sa Bayan (SPSB) opening in Paluan. Critics of the project said that the SPSB exploited a captive market of electric consumers now nailed to the power company’s greed. Cong. Sato even said then that the project “should be replicated all across Mindoro.” 

Rightly so, the Occidental Mindoro Electric Cooperative (OMECO) has insisted that SPSB cease its operations because Paluan is part of the electric cooperative. No local politicians then stood on behalf of the EC and its MCOs, defended their electricity franchise privileges, and yielded their mandate to SPSB. OMECO did not receive any support from SPSB enablers on this problematic area. It was understandable because they are backing the solar project during its infantile stage of operation. The Municipality of Paluan, after a few years of partnership with SPSB now relinquished its power provision to OMECO. The SPSB abandoned the solar project afraid of totally losing their capital. The electric cooperative that they once bypassed redeemed them from chaos.

Sato and Villarosa are now on speaking terms after decades of hostility. Even their political allies in different political positions now merged as a group. Some known and longtime political allies of Villarosa now aligned themselves with the Sato group. Their former warring media propagandists and supporters already buried the hatchet, directing their criticisms over the radio and social media on their common "enemy": the incumbent governor Eduardo Gadiano. Gadiano recently advised OMECO to fast-track the Competitive Selection Process (CSP) to have a new power provider. The governor’s critics even pointed out that other politicians had already resolved his allegedly late proposals. The opposition rejected all his recommendations and action on the matter with all mean intentions. They belittled him saying that the governor does not fully understand the issue.

The governor failed to get from the Sangguniang Panlalawigan the resolution declaring the province under a state of emergency because of intermittent power interruptions.  Take note, too, that a crack among the provincial board members on issuing such resolution as requested by the governor arose.

This coming May 9, whether we like it or not, the issue of brownout or power shortage in the province becomes the on-point issue. It will be immaterial for the voters the reasons and justifications for technicalities and legalities in the power industry sector. They will not forget the fact that after 32 years both of the camps of the two local political titans the problem is not resolved to date.

Politics and electricity are designed for relationships and not for isolation. Politicians and the electric consumer are socializers. They, too, are inseparable. And the agony is, the politicians’ circus is the electric consumers’ crisis.

They employ power-play politics amid power failures. Even those who deny it know that.

Local politicians have made promises for decades to end brownouts, but they ignore the reality that they had been part of the problem. Since time immemorial, they had already dipped their fingers in the issue with both beneficent and sinister motives. That is all in aid of (re-)election, one may think.

The bottom line of all: This issue of power, once again, could make or break the political careers of those gunning gubernatorial and congressional seats in 2022. Failure to employ political power that caused power failure is the main meat of the discourses leading to election day and beyond as long as brownout still exists, whatever its cause. Be it rotational power distribution, turbine washing, tripping, and other trouble like the recent mechanical disturbance in the power plant.

The bone of contention is the politicians’ three years of apparent lack of knowledge on the issue contrasted with three decades (or more) of vested interests, incredible business choices, and perhaps, negligence. Be it coming from the transmission, generation, or distribution side.

It will appear like this: Politicians versus their electoral rivals and overstaying political factions against the brownout fed-up voters and electric consumers. The electric consumers who are also voters are all discontented with this situation of electric power in the province.

When asked what are the prospects of this coming election, my friend, Atty. Lawrence Villamar has this to say: "It's important to note that this election may mark an end of an era and introduction of new players in local politics."

This word picture makes the elections on Monday and the local politics in Occidental Mindoro more fun and exciting.

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References:

 https://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/history-electricity/#Dawn

 https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/976292/mindoro-solar-power-project-to-supply-electricity-at-p9-per-kwh

 https://www.philstar.com/business/2014/02/26/1294492/emerging-power-eyes-mindoro-market?nomobile=1

 

 

Mindorosas 2.0, Lubang Island

Vice-President Leni Robredo will be coming to a famous island in my province Occidental Mindoro at around 9:00 AM tomorrow, April 26, 2022, and the venue is Plaza de Francisco M. Sanchez. Last April 6, the TRoPa held their sorties on mainland Mindoro, specifically in San Jose, Occidental and Calapan City in Oriental.

Lubang Island is known for being the hiding place of Hiroo Onoda, the Japanese World War II straggler who made the island his home and battleground long after the war was over. His story was made into a motion picture in 2019 directed by Arthur Harari. The movie Onoda: 10,000 Nights in the Jungle was an entry to Cannes Film Festival 2021 and bagged the Best Original Screenplay at César Awards, France 2022. Click HERE to watch its trailer.

But other than the Onoda story, the folk dance Pandanggo sa Ilaw is said to have originated from the place. It is generally danced in couples, with traditional clothes for both women and men. They carry lighted glass oil lamps on their heads and the back of their hands. Dancing to the rhythm of lilting music, they sway and balance, go around the stage or dance floor, intermingle, manipulate the glass lamps with amazing and spectacular deftness, and maneuver for the dramatic and arresting position on the floor. Swiftly of hands and agile feet, the dancers do not trip or drop the glass lamps that they carry. The oil lamp is called tinghoy.

Cabra Island, also part of the Municipality of Lubang, is the site of the alleged apparition of the Virgin Mary to eight children in December 1966.   The children were pupils at the Cabra Elementary School and this incident hit the headlines and became the subject of debates among theologians and the clergy themselves.  The purported apparitions eventually inspired the 1982 Ishmael Bernal drama film Himala, starring Nora Aunor and with a screenplay by Ricky Lee, which took place from 1966 to 1972.

Lubang too is the place of birth of world renowned human rights advocate Sr. Mariani Dimaranan, SFIC. She was born on February 1, 1921, and her name is synonymous with Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP), founded in 1973, where she served as its chairperson from 1975 up to 1996. She worked hard for the release of political detainees despite being jailed by the Marcos government.

Lubang is also known for Pasandal. It is part of traditional Flores de Mayo aside from Santacruzan. In Lubang, it became part of their tradition to have 8 days of dancing known as Pasandal. On the morning of the 9th day, which is the Santacruzan, a mass was held and in the evening, selected beautiful sagalas dressed in gowns to join the religious pageant.

Lubang Island consists of two municipalities, Lubang and Looc. In 2019, according to the records of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), the former has only 13,490 voters while the latter has 7,684 registered electorates. Regardless, the Leni-Kiko tandem went down in history for giving special attention to this small but lovely island in my province. The tandem finds time to visit and build a lasting relationship with those even in far-flung areas or the outskirts of society.

The name of this island came from lumbang, a kind of tree that grew profusely on this island during the early days.  Due to constant use for so many years, the name became Lubang, according to historian Rudy A. Candelario.

The rally organizers selected pasandal as its campaign theme tomorrow.

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Photo: VP Leni Robredo's FB Account

“Mayor Lang” Explained

The Tagalog word “lang”, is short for “lamang”, which is often used as a modifier to provide an accurate picture of the quality, as an adjective or quantity, or numerical count being presented.

For example: “Isa lang ang iboboto ko sa mga konsehal” means “I will just vote one among the councilors.”

But in some usage, it is to limit the scope of the word that may usually carry ambiguous or far-ranging content. For instance, when you want to say “I have voted”, you will use “Nakaboto na ako”. But when you want to say “I have just voted” (i.e. recently, or just now), you will say “Kaboboto ko lang.” Therefore, “lang” in English means “only” or “just”.

But in many contexts, “lang” is used to express a “limitation”. There are uses in certain contexts that are very difficult to translate into English. For example:

“Magtrabaho ka na lang.”

“You just work.”

(Focus. Maybe something will turn up.)

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 “Maghintay ka na lang.”

“All you can do is wait.”

(Just wait for now….)

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 “Kumain na lang tayo.”

“Let’s just eat.”

(No point in doing anything else.)

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 “Umoo ka na lang.”

“Just say yes.”

(It’s useless to complain.)

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 “Manood ka na lang.”

“Why don’t you just watch?”

(Don’t bother with anything else.)

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Just like how Vice-Mayor Walter “Bong” B. Marquez uses the phrase in his campaign slogan in his bid for a mayoralty position in Sablayan. His catchword for May 9 Elections simply reads “Mayor Lang.” His “lang” in this particular milieu connotes a sort of limiting himself if ever elected mayor of this municipality, and constantly reminds him not to exceed his duties and functions as local chief executive of Sablayan. He promised to do only those things required by or under the law, specifically those stipulated in the Local Government Code.

It is his way of emphasizing that he will not usurp his duties and would not be involved in any moonlighting activity and be involved as a clandestine servicer of the government, a “commissioner”, supplier, power broker and be involved, directly or indirectly, in anything that beyond his thrust and mandate as a local official, and in particular, a mayor.

The context of Vice-Mayor Marquez’s “mayor lang” according to him means that he will not capitulate to unlawfully performing his mayoral duties in case he is elected. He is just speaking for himself, he said. He does not care about the other candidates nor does he alludes to his rival.

Nothing in his mind and his slogan that he emphasizes that the mayoralty post is “basta-basta” or in the bastardized lingo, “just-just”.

It is very intellectually dishonest that this use of “lang” is presented as an affront to the esteemed and honorable government position or office that he aspires for. In visioning and animating such values instead, you purify the sanctity of that office.

Nonetheless, elections and political leadership are like a winnowing fan in our hands separating the grains from the chaff.

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(Photo: VM Bong Marquez Facebook Page)

 

Pandanggo sa Dilim and the Leni-Kiko’s Sortie

The Leni-Kiko campaign rally in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro last April 6, 2022, has three important highlights at least from my point of view: it paved the way for Cong. Nene Sato’s declaration of support for the Kakampink tandem, the first-ever dance steps of VP Leni in her entire campaign sortie and it became the venue where my kababayans protested for more than three decades of an intermittent power outage that we are experiencing since January of this year. I will just focus on the last two climaxes for it’s just natural for Cong. Nene to endorse VP Leni for they are both top brasses of the Liberal Party (LP). Let us juxtapose Leni’s fandango and our being the infamous “brownout capital of the Philippines.” 

Regardless of our political affiliations, we are gravely affected by this debacle of power interruptions. We are experiencing this hellish situation even since Leni Robredo was still earning her degree in Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of the Philippines Diliman. Even when she was not yet a lawyer and married to Jesse Robredo, energy crises have been bugging my people to no end and Cong. Nene was already a vice-governor just two years later. Cong. Nene has never been defeated since 1988 and has been up and down, in a manner of speaking, as congresswoman and governor interchangeably.

After reading a placard with the message "Mga sanay sa brownout for Leni," VP Leni said, "Pero hindi ba dapat hindi tayo nasasanay because ang kuryente, basic na pangangailangan natin. Ang akin lang pong mapapangako sa inyo, kapag ako mismo and pangulo, ako mismo and tututok sa mga bagay na ito." She assured every one of us and that was after she rendered that historic Hanunuo fandango with all gracefulness and gusto. When she said, "Ako mismo," it was tantamount to saying that since the effort of the local leaders are not enough, if ever elected, the veep herself will take the responsibility of solving it.

The crowd roared for they know that electricity is as essential as lugaw in some situations. Even the nationalistic Day of Valor last Saturday, April 9, became a "Day of Brownout" in a large part of the province. Sad.

The apologists of the local power groups and the propagandists of the congresswoman herself say that she should not be faulted for such a predicament. They insist on blaming Governor Ed Gadiano for such a fiasco saying that it is his role as the province’s chief executive to provide basic needs of his constituency, especially electricity even if he was in the position only for less than three years now.

Aside from lambasting the governor for this over spinning rotational brownout in the province, the political propagandists and critics of the provincial chief executive keep on defending the Occidental Mindoro Electric Cooperative (OMECO) and the Occidental Mindoro Consolidated Power Corporation (OMCPC) saying that though the latter had already been ready in supplying the whole power requirement of the province, the contract has been archived at the Department of Energy (DOE) and Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) unsigned by the authorities concerned. They keep on censuring the supposed red tape in said national offices and Gov. Gadiano for unsubstantiated expositions. I do understand they have the right to say this because of political reasons no matter how silly their arguments are. I do believe that electricity and politics are inseparable (I will write a separate blog entry about this next time).

The rally participants found a venue to once again vent their concerns and our province’s endless tragedy that has been hounding us even during the time of the fictitious Majoma.  The million-dollar question is this, how come that after decades and decades of this situation of doom, the concerned sector only managed to provide us with limited power sources and just one producer through the years? They were a failure in this matter and we, the consumers, and the supposed co-owners of the electric cooperative were led to a dark slaughterhouse of uncertainty. 

In the past four decades or so, we are given false hopes by our sitting provincial politicians on this nagging issue of power shortage. The mammoth 18 thousand more or less Leni-Kiko crowd both came from opposing political camps, by the way. The only thing common to them is they are all pro-Leni and Kiko but they differ in their local choices for governor, among other positions.

In the 1990s, people look up the Power Sharing Agreement between Island Power Corporation (IPC) and OMECO as the ultimate solution and expected to electrify every municipality but our aspirations gradually died like a fading candle. The reasons for its failure involve financial, managerial, legal, and technical issues surrounding the agreement besides the fact that the later owner of IPC is a local political leader in the province. We more than ever were left figuratively in the dark. We as a people feel betrayed by these nothing but money-paddled transactions. EPI was allegedly a power company that is about to operate a 45-megawatt geothermal power plant in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro but EPI and OMECO including the rest of the national power industry agencies dropped it like a hot potato for reasons that I’m not privy to discuss but what’s important is, we, the people have again faced a broken political promise for a clean and secured, sustained and affordable power supply that purportedly we will be enjoying in 2017. They again lied to us about our aspirations for a brown-out free (or less brownout) Occidental Mindoro puffed like a balloon of colds in a murky kid’s stuffy nostrils.

In just a wink of an eye and away from the eyes of the public, the EPI and the OMCPC changed roles like harlequins in a circus. With dedication and fervor, Cong. Nene has been bridging coordination gaps among energy national regulatory agencies such as the DoE, ERC, NPC, the NEA and OMECO, and OMCPC, sole distributor and supplier, respectively. Until now, the light at the end of the tunnel is still a thing of the future. We still grope for true and brand new political leaders whose heart bleeds with us in our darkest moments. We still shout and cry for fast-tracking the Competitive Selection Process (CSP) and welcoming all the qualified applicants as power providers and pressuring all the involved power industry sectors to act swiftly on the matter.

But this is a thing that political apologists cannot alter: brownouts, as well as politicians, overstays on this forsaken half of the island we call home. And the people are fed-up with both!

This is their eternal legacy of Pandanggo sa Dilim, similar to Remigio Agpalo’s political analogy/analysis Pandanggo sa Ilaw, a folk dance that originated here in our province, particularly in Lubang Island, in 1965.

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My upcoming entry: "The Inseparability of Politics and Electricity: A Reflection Paper" 

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Photo: Sen. Kiko Pangilinan’s Twitter account

Reference: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1482004/mindorenos-assured-of-sufficient-power-supply-sato

 

For My Fellow Government Employees on Election "Dos and Don’ts"

The formal or official campaigning for local elections is on. The group of Cong. Nene Sato kicked off in Lubang while the team of Gov. Ed Gadiano had its opening salvo in his hometown in Sablayan on that same day of March 25, 2022. Thousands came to witness them. People from all walks of life including public officials and government employees like yours truly witnessed the motorcades and proclamation rallies.

Are government employees like me forbidden to air their political opinions or write or say something about politicians during the campaign period? Shall we stay at home when political sorties from whatever group are all around us? Nope.

(Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer and I am only getting this opinion as an advocate of free speech and expression and as a researcher. The 2018 column of election lawyer Atty. Emil Maranon III was my main reference in writing this blog post.) 

My being a government employee does not hinder me from the enjoyment of such rights. Yes, the right to expression and free speech. Election season or not.

People cite Resolution 1600298 of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), the “Advisory on Electioneering and Partisan Political Activity” for all officers and employees of the government giving us stern warning that during election season, should keep our mouths (and pens) completely sealed as far as politicians and politics are concerned. They say that by doing such an act, we can be suspended or dismissed, imprisoned, disqualified from public office, and deprived of the right to vote. 

But aside from Resolution 1600298 of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), the general policy on non-intervention of public officers and employees is also expressly laid down in the 1987 Constitution. Section 2 (4) Article IX-B provides that “no officer or employee in the civil service shall engage, directly or indirectly, in any electioneering or partisan political campaign.” CSC Memorandum Circular (M.C.) No. 30, s. 2009 enumerated partisan political activities that could be considered as electioneering or partisan political campaign that can be found in this article.

Implementing this, Section 55, Chapter 7 (Prohibitions) of Subtitle A of the Administrative Code of 1987, provides: “No officer or employee in the Civil Service including members of the Armed Forces, shall engage directly or indirectly in any partisan political activity or take part in any election except to vote nor shall he use his official authority or influence to coerce the political activity of any other person or body.” Under Sec. 264 of the Omnibus Election Code, any person found guilty of violating the above provision shall be punished with imprisonment of at least one year but not more than 6 years and shall not be subject to probation.

The truth is, the prohibition is not that absolute. There is no blanket prohibition on the matter.

Section 55, Chapter 7 (Prohibitions) of Subtitle A of the Administrative Code of 1987, for example, qualifies the prohibition to engage in partisan political activity with this:

“Nothing herein provided shall be understood to prevent any officer or employee from expressing his views on current political problems or issues, or from mentioning the names of candidates for public office whom he supports; provided, that public officers and employees holding political offices may take part in political and electoral activities, but it shall be unlawful for them to solicit contributions from their subordinates or subject them to any of the acts involving subordinates prohibited in the Election Code.”

Of course, like any other normal person, we could also go and hear campaign sorties or rallies, listen to their jingles and accept merch from politicians but we are prohibited atop the stage and campaign for them or distribute campaign paraphernalia for certain candidates, among others. That's a big no, no. 

Section 79 of the Omnibus Election Code also provided for this qualification:

“Public expressions or opinions or discussions of probable issues in a forthcoming election or on attributes of or criticisms against probable candidates proposed to be nominated in a forthcoming political party convention shall not be construed as part of any election campaign or partisan political activity contemplated under this Article.” To reiterate, protected under the very law and the supreme law of the land is the upholding of the right to free speech and expression over whatever system of voting or election regulation. 

Simply put, if one government employee would write/say/post would say s/he will vote for this candidate because s/he is good, it is okay because it was his or her personal opinion. But if the government employee says let us vote for this candidate because s/he is good, that is considered campaigning for a candidate therefore prohibited, and vice-versa.

Moreover, according to a joint circular issued by the CSC and the COMELEC just before the 2016 national and local elections, “social- media functions such as ‘liking,’ ‘commenting,’ ‘sharing,’ reposting, or following a candidate’s or party’s account,” would generally not be considered electioneering or partisan political activity.

Even a democratic exercise like elections cannot restrain us, civil servants, from our democratic rights to free expression. 

Let us all listen to the candidates, make choices and express yourselves. Let us all be instruments of democracy and be a public servant for all regardless of political leanings and be learned participants in governance!

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(Photo: Gov. Ed and Cong Nene FB pages)

Of Morals and Sablayan Muralists

One of the most visible and effective features of Leni Robredo and Kiko Pangilinan’s campaign trail are murals painted all over the Philippines. Here in Occidental Mindoro, there is a prominent political wall painting that can be found in the town called Sablayan. It was first in the province if I were not mistaken.

More than ever, mural paintings became a form of valuable testimony of how intense the forthcoming elections in May would be. Even the “innocent” artistic expressions of our youth were not spared by acolytes of this arrogant and repressive, if not immoral, regime.

Erased

There are two sad incidents of whitewashing of pink-colored murals of Vice-President Leni Robredo and Senator Kiko Pangilinan: in Echague, Isabela, on February 17 and in Padre Diego Cera corner C5 Extension, Pulang Lupa Uno, Las Piñas City today, March 13, 2022.

Both walls are parts of the private property of certain individuals. The Youth for Leni-Las Piñeros condemned the incident as “harassment” and “obvious repression.” Reportedly, the unidentified men who painted over the murals with white color are identified with DPWH Secretary and now a senatorial candidate in the slot of the deposed dictator’s son Marcos Jr and Mayor Sara Duterte, Mark Villar, another infamous dynast in the country.

The Leni-Kiko mural in Isabela on the other hand was vandalized or removed by no less than the Commission on Election (COMELEC) itself. Despite this, the so-called Pinklawan Artists said they are even more determined to fight for their right to express support for the tandem.

The two groups of young artists from Isabela and Las Piñas City cried foul and called it a form of “harassment” and “repression” by concerned authorities.

Etymology

The word mural originates from the Latin word “murus”, meaning “wall”. (That is why Intramuros was once caled the Walled City.) Mural art today is any piece of drawing painted or applied directly onto a wall, ceiling, or other larger permanent surfaces, flat, bowl-shaped, or curved. Some sources say that the art of muralism flourished during the 1920s, after the Mexican revolution. In that era, it became a powerful visual communication tool to promote the opinion of the people and to transmit social and political messages toward social change and solidarity was recognized. Since then, murals became symbols of freedom and hope, worldwide.

Mural painting is also a usual subject of controversy, especially those expressing one’s political opinion. Well, we cannot separate arts from politics, as we cannot also separate our political “murals” (read: choice of candidates) from our morals (read: personal values). Our votes are reflections of our values and morals.

Sablayan Muralists

They proudly call themselves Volunteer Artists of Sablayan Para kay Leni. The group is composed of Christerlo Rabanal, Kaizer Casil, Tiziah Diodoco, Erica Villapando, Jane Antonette Patal, Anicia Rizzi, Nina Villapando. Though they do not consider themselves artists, Kathleen Nardo, Jann Mariz, and Josefa Lontoc were with them in this heroic call of the times as advisers and general factotum if I could call them that way.

The mural can be found in the corner of J. Daño and S. Dangeros Streets in Barangay Buenavista, Sablayan (near Mar Sharkin Commercial), Occidental Mindoro, adjacent to Sablayan Public Market. It is a wall of a building razed by fire sometime last year. The wall which was blackened by coal and smoke gradually returned to life and transformed into a symbol of a bright and gloomy future. For indeed, like what the artists believe, kulay rosas ang bukas. A future when this nation is at the pink of health, so to speak.

They started the tedious painting in the first week of February until the second week of March. “We are all 100% volunteers and we do not expect any compensation whatsoever,” says Anton Ragos, their group leader. “All of the materials we used including plywoods, paints, brushes, and snacks came from local Leni-Kiko supporters. There are lots of them and they are so generous for the cause,” he further added.

All of the members of the Volunteer Artists of Sablayan Para kay Leni believe that making murals as campaign material is a manifestation of their moral and political stand.

Art as Politics

During the dark days of Martial Law, the apex of our nation’s modern-day political unrest gave birth to known Filipino social realists who felt responsible to create art that would inspire the people to take political decisions and actions. The common denominator of the artworks then and today is the people’s protest against anti-people policies of the government and their struggle and aspiration for socio-political transformation.  

Every muralist or artist, in general, must always question the status quo and maintain and fight for the inherent artistic freedom of expression, especially in these crucial moments onward to elections. The role of such an art is very important for it can be an arena of the decisive battle between the friendly forces versus the enemies of life, beauty and truth come May and thereafter.

Vandalizing any work of art or a mural is turpitude. Such an act could only come from the artless rats staying on a sinking ship.

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References:

https://www.widewalls.ch/magazine/what-is-a-mural-the-history-and-meaning

https://www.cnnphilippines.com/life/culture/arts/2017/02/17/art-fair-2017-cover.html